CTA Update | April 9, 2020

I hope this message finds you safe and healthy. We know these are turbulent times. And we also know that the seeds of hope and inspiration grow best in challenging conditions.

At the direct request of the White House, CTA launched a website resource for health professionals last week, TechHealthDirectory.com. We worked with Amazon Web Services and the American Telemedicine Association to envelope the site, which features a growing list of digital health resources — from remote monitoring to telemedicine — to assist the health care industry during the coronavirus outbreak. I encourage you to visit the website and see examples of how our nation can use tech innovations to fight the pandemic.

I want you to know about my latest call to action, asking the federal government to begin a nationwide program to test people for COVID-19 antibodies. I think many Americans now benefit from some level of immunity to this virus — either they recovered from COVID-19 or are asymptomatic carriers. I was thrilled that my communication inspired The Wall Street Journal lead editorial this last Thursday. By testing and identifying those who can’t infect others or become infected, we are finding those who could could be front-line workers — helping care for our sick, protect our most vulnerable and getting our country back to work.

I want to thank all of you who took part in our recent webinars addressing the business challenges presented by the pandemic. These informative sessions have covered How to Manage Business Continuity, Coronavirus Legislation What it Means to Employers and How Companies Can Show Empathy to Employees . You’re welcome to watch recordings of those webinars or join our upcoming events in the weeks ahead.

Upcoming Webinars:

• Small Business Assistance during COVID-19
  Thursday, April 9 at 1 PM ET
  Ashley D. Bell, The Small Business Administration (SBA) regional administrator; and Chris Pilkerton, White House Policy Advisor and former SBA Acting Administrator; will discuss how the SBA is supporting America’s entrepreneurs and providing on the ground assistance.
• Raising Venture Capital Funding During COVID-19
  Tuesday, April 14, 1 PM ET
  Hear from two VCs about how the fundraising landscape has changed, what VCs are investing in right now, how COVID-19 has impacted valuations and terms sheets, and advice on what you need to do to put your startup in the best position for success.
• Using Tech to Address Isolation During COVID-19
  Thursday, April 16, 1 PM ET
  Over the past eight years, the CTA Foundation has worked with partners across the country to use technology to address social isolation in some of the most at-risk communities: older adults and people with disabilities. Leaders from our partner organizations share insights about addressing isolation, challenges and opportunities faced in this pandemic, and how these lessons apply to your employees and customers.

We are preparing for the upcoming virtual (but slimmed down) CTA Tech Week, which will include our annual member meeting, and we are launching a virtual version of our Tech and Standards Forum. I encourage you to join us with any of these events.

CTA’s Tech Use Tracker:
The pandemic means a major lifestyle shift for American households. CTA’s new weekly Tech Use Tracker gauges what consumers are using and buying across technology categories, including online services and devices. The index is updated every Wednesday at 1 PM ET.

CTA Connect:
Stay connected to your industry peers and other tech-sector businesses with the CTA Connect COVID-19 discussion forum. And please let us know what additional information you’d like to see on the Member Resources page.

On what is a sacred time of year for many people, I hope we all find time and reason to give thanks. Please stay safe and as always, please feel free to send questions and comments my way.

Your Industry Representative,